Egg opener



" EGG OPENER Filed June 11, 1928 ATTORNEY INVENTOR Jlfieaver i/hm/liwz Patented Sept. 10, 1929.

UNITED STATES LAURENTINE S. HAMILTON,

OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

EGG OPENER.

Application filed June 11,

The object of this invention is to provide an easily operated and efficient device for conveniently opening eggs and holding the divided parts thereof in positions most suitable for removing the contents of the shell sections. 1

Another object is to provide a device of this character which is adapted to be utilized for removing an from boiling water.

Another object is to provide a device of this nature which is of simple, inexpensive and durable construction.

More specific objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following 1 description.

The invention consists in the novel construction, adaptation and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a device embodying' my invention illustrated in its shell cutting relation, and showing by dotted lines positions assumed by the cup members suitable for accomplishing other fnnctionsof the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail transverse sectional view of one of the cup members and the means for rotatably connecting the same to a jaw of the frame; Fig. 4 is an end elevation of one of the cup members; and Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the frame members in proximity to their pivotal connection.

In said drawing, the reference numbers and 11 represent the handle and jaw arms, respectively, of a lever member; and 12 and 13, corresponding handle and jaw arms of another lever member, which members are fulcrumed intermediate their lengths to a stud 14 and constitute the frame of the device. 15 and 16 represent sleeves connected by pivots 17 to the outer ends of the respective frame jaws 11 and 13 for movement about axes parallel with the axis of the stud 1 1 and at right angles to the plane of said frame members.

Journaled in said sleeves are rods 18 and 19 which constitute the stems of cups 20 and 21., respectively, of semiovoidal shapes.

Each of said cups is desirably provided with a lining such as 22 Fig. 3, of rubber,

1928. Serial No. 284,461.

or the like, for frictional engagement with the shell of an egg.

When the axes of said stems and cups are in alignment, as illustrated by full lines in Fig. 1, they are free to rotate; but when the cups are disposed in positions as indicated in Fig. 1 by dotted lines 20 and 21 or 20 or 2.1 with respect to the frame arms 11 and 18, the cups are prevented from rotating by the provision of means rigid with the cup stems to engage the frame arms when the cups occupy such dotted line positions.

To which end, for the cup 20 I rigidly sccure upon its stem 18 a collar 28 having a protuberance 24 which is adapted to engage against the arm 11 when the cup is in its dotted line position 20 and a winged handle 19 upon the stem of the other cup 21 is brought into engageable relation with the arm 13 to prevent rotation of the cup when in its dotted line 21 position. As shownin Fig. 1, the arms 11 and 13 have outturned portion 25 each provided with shoulders 26 and 27 arranged in rectangular relation, the associated shoulders being coextensive with the ends of arcuate surfaces 28 disposed concentric of the respective fulcrum pins 17 29 represent spring washers surrounding the stems 18 and 19 of the respective cups and between the latter and the adjacent ends of the sleeves 15 and 16. 30 representangular clips of spring metal mounted upon said cups, each clip having one of its arms connected as by means of a rivet 30 to the outer peripheral surface of the respective cup and its other arm 30 extending inwardly over the cup brim and terminating in a serrated edge 31 adapted to engage the shell of an egg E as indicated in Fig. 1.

The winged handle 19 of the stem 19 serves for rotating the associated cup 21, the egg E and also the cup 20, when they occupy the relatively aligned positions in which they are represented by full lines in Fig. 1, and with the egg in coupled relation with both the cups. T he purpose of thus rotating the egg is to enable it to be engaged by a cutting tool for scoring or cutting its shell circuitously in a plane intermediate the cups and at right angle to the major axis of the e g.

Said cutting tool comprises, preferably, a wheel 33, or cutter as hereinafter termed, which is mounted for rotation in the slotted end of a bar 34 which is arranged for reciprocatory movement in a guiding tube 34 which is secured to or formed integral with a block 35 and which block is rigid with the stud 14 of the frame.

36 represents an arm of a bell-crank lever which is fulcrumed to a pin 37 supported by said stud 14 and is provided at its free end with a slot 38 (Fig. 2).within which engages a pin element 39 of the bar 34 whereby swinging movements of the arm will serve to reciprocate the bar which carries the cutter to and from engageable relation with respect to an egg which may be clamped between the cups 20 and 21 of the device.

The other arm 40 of said bell-crank lever serves as a handle which is actuated by pressure of the operators thumb to impart a forward movement of the cutter in opposition to the power of a spring 41 tending to return the cutter into its normal inoperative position when the thumb pressure is removed from the arm 40. The return or rearward movement of the cutter is limited as by means of a stop pin 49; upon the bar 34 encountering an end of the bar guiding tube 34 43 represents a spring secured intermediate its length to the block 35, the spring branches 43 acting against the frame arms 10 and 12 to cause the jaw arms 11 and 13 and the respective cups 20 and 21 to be yieldably brought toward each other into egg engaging relation.

As shown, the fulcrum pin 37 of the bell crank lever is connected to a lug 45 of a collar 45 which is secured as by being screwed upon the threaded end of the stud 14 above a tubular post 46 (Fig. 5) which serves with the block for positioning the frame members upon the stud.

The operation of the invention may be explained as follows: WVith the cups arranged in the positions in which they are shown by full lines in Fig. 1, the handle arms 10 and 12 are drawn manually toward each other to separate the cups sufiiciently to receive an egg therebetween-when the longitudinal axis of an egg is in substantial alignment with the axes of the cups 520 and 21 and also with their respective stems; and, thus arranged, the operator permits the spring 43 to force the cups into engaged relation with the egg E, the smaller and larger ends of the latter extending into the respective cups. The engaging of an in the device may thus be accomplished within the water in which it is cooked without being touched by the operators hand, or through the intermediary of a spoon or the like. With an egg engaged in and by the cups of the device which is held by its handles 10, 12 in the left hand, say, of the operator-with her right hand she turns the winged handle 19 to impart rotary motion to the cups and the egg contained therein; and, by a pressure of the thumb of her left hand upon the bell-crank lever 36-40, imparts forward movement to the bar 34 to cause the cutter to engage the shell of the rotating egg to score or cut into the shell circumferentially thereof.

Such shell cutting is, however, desirably performed only for between one-half or three-fourths of the eggs circumference. After which, the cutter is retracted and the egg is rotated by means of the winged handle 19 to present the uncut portion of the shell toward the cutter and which may then be pushed against the egg for breaking the same asunder in the plane of the cut in its circumference, or this action may be aided or replaced by the operator pressing against the winged handle 19 to cause the cups to be brought into their 20 and 21 positions. The half sections of the egg thus produced are held individually in separate cups and, with soft boiled eggs, permitting the yolks and parts of the whites to run from the respective egg sections into a glass, while the cups occupy substantially the positions in which they are indicated by dotted lines 20 21 in Fig. 1. The egg contents, if any, remaining in the shell sections can be removed by means of a spoon after the cups have been brought as by the action of the spring 43 into the positions in which the cups are indicated by dotted lines 20 21 in Fig. 1.

After the contents of the shell sections have been removed therefrom, the empty shells are readily removed from the cups by the operators fingers. After the shells are thus removed the cups are returned into the positions in which they are represented by full lines in Fig. 1. An advantage of the invention is due to the facility with which an egg may be opened without fracturing the shell and its contents removed without any broken pieces of the shell getting into the egg contents.

The invention and the manner of using the same will, it is thought, be understood from the foregoing description.

What I claim, is,-

1. In a device of the character described, a pair of frame members pivotally connected together intermediate their lengths to provide each member with a handle element and a jaw element, a pair of egg-engaging cup members, each having a stem connected to the respective jaw element for rotary movements about the axes of said stems and also about aXes at right angles to the axes of the respective stems, a bar connected to the frame for movement in a plane medial of the frame, a cutter wheel rotatably mounted in an end of said bar, means connected to the other end of the bar for effecting movement of the cutter wheel to and from cutting relation with an egg engaged in said cups, and means to impart rotary movement of the egg and cups for actuating the cutter wheel.

2. A device of the character described comprising a frame consisting of two members pivotally connected together intermediate their lengths to provide each member with a handle element and a jaw element, sleeves mounted in the respective jaw elements for rotary movement in the plane of the frame members, a pair of cups adapted to receive the ends of an egg therein, each of said cups having a stem element rotatably mounted in the respective sleeve, means provided upon one of said stems for imparting rotary movement to the egg, a cutter wheel arranged for movement to ward and from the egg, a spring acting to retract said wheel from the egg, and a thumb actuated means for efiecting movement of the wheel into cutting relation with the egg, said jaw elements being formed with shoulders for regulating the positioning of the cups in angular relations with respect to the frame.

3. In a device of the character described, a frame comprising two pivotally connect- ,ed members to provide complementary jaw and handle elements, a pair of complementary egg receiving cups, stems rigid with the respective cups, said stems being operably connected to the respective jaw elements of said frame members for rotatably supporting said cups, manually operable means for rotating the egg through the medium of the cups, and a cutter mounted for movement toward and from the axis of rotation of the cups, said cutter being rendered operable to cut the shell of an egg by the rotary movement of the latter.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with the frame comprising two pivotally connected members, having handle and jaw elements, egg receiving cups rotatably connected to said jaw members and arranged for movement with the latter toward and from each other, and means to effect rotary movement of said cups, of an egg shell cutter carried by said frame and arranged for movement toward and from an egg engaged in said cups.

Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 18th day of May, 1928.

LAURENTINE S. HAMILTON. 

